The New York Giants have reportedly acquired quarterback JJ McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero added that in exchange, the Vikings will receive a 2027 fifth-round pick.
McCarthy was the third-string QB behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz in Minnesota. New York adds depth at quarterback after starter Jaxson Dart was ruled out for the remainder of the regular season with a torn MCL and meniscus.
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New York had started veteran Jameis Winston and called up Jake Haener to serve as his backup in the Week 3 win over the Titans. Although the Giants earned their second win of the season, Winston struggled and New York’s 12 points came from four field goals.
The move gives McCarthy a fresh start as the 23-year-old is still only in his third year in the league.
The former Michigan Wolverine played for Jim Harbaugh in college and will now play for his brother, John Harbaugh, with the Giants.
McCarthy missed his entire rookie season with a torn ACL. Last year he played in 10 games and went 6-4. The QB finished with 11,632 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
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Winston replaced Dart in the team’s 28-6 loss to the Rams. He struggled mightily, completing just 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards. Winston, 32, was sacked twice and threw an interception in the second quarter while in the red zone.
A replacement in recent years, Winston was once the first overall pick in the draft, in 2015. That marked the start of his five-season streak as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ QB1. Winston, a Heisman Trophy winner and national championship winner at Florida State, earned Pro Bowl honors as a rookie and led the NFL with 5,109 passing yards in 2019. That season, however, he infamously threw 30 interceptions to go along with his 33 touchdowns.
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On-court decision-making has held Winston back throughout his professional career. The Winston experience is a roller coaster, for better or worse. He can throw the ball down the yard, as evidenced by his 25,021 career passing yards – a total he already added to during stints with the New Orleans Saints (2020-23) and Cleveland Browns (2024) before joining the Giants before last season – but he is notoriously turnover-prone.
That said, he is known for his infectious personality, his relentless positivity as a leader, and his ability to spark offense. Earlier this month, the Giants gave Winston a two-year extension through 2028, worth $13 million. Harbaugh went to bat for the veteran this week.
“He can throw it,” Harbaugh said last Wednesday of Winston. “He’s a big, strong quarterback. He can throw the ball. Anyone who follows football has certainly seen Jameis play, and his strengths are obvious.
Winston finished Week 3 winning 14 of 22 passes for 118 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He ran for 14 yards twice and was sacked three times.
New York has four games left until its bye week in Week 8. It could come at that point, depending on how Winston plays over the next month, the Giants could attempt to move McCarthy to center position.
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